On beethoven's back (2)

Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, the country's first modern Chinese orchestra that was made up of traditional Chinese musical instruments and formed like a Western symphony orchestra, was established in 1952.

Neubert says that at least 50 Chinese orchestras visit Vienna every year, and he is impressed by the works of Chinese contemporary composers, such as Chen Gang, the co-writer of the violin concerto Butterfly Lovers.

"They combine Western orchestral presentation and traditional Chinese music. These pieces will be a very nice addition to the world's orchestral music scene," he says.

Neubert says the orchestra plans to revisit China in 2017, if the imminent tour proves successful.

Yu from Xinghai Concert Hall is optimistic. The concert in Guangzhou has had a good box office, with only a few high-priced tickets left available now.

"Many classical music fans in China have a 'Beethoven complex'," Yu says. "The composer is deemed a strong man with his famous words about seizing fate by the throat. His works are well-received by the general public."

Concert halls in four out of the six cities on the China tour chose Beethoven's No 3 and No 7 symphonies for the repertoire. National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing is the only one that chose a repertoire without Beethoven: The centerpiece there will be Brahms' Symphony No 2.

The 53-year-old Australian conductor Simone Young is one of the world's top two female conductors, the other being Marion Alsop, according to Zhao Yimin, a Guangzhou-based classical music critic and radio-show producer.

Young was the first woman to have recorded the complete Ring Cycle of Wagner, a task that "no more than 10 conductors active now, male or female, have been able to accomplish," Zhao says.

"Young has a powerful conducting style and she is good at large-scale works, which makes her a perfect match with the tour's repertoire," he says.

Young is excited about her first visit to China. "I am very much looking forward to meeting Chinese audiences - and of course to visiting many museums and historic buildings," she says. "I would also like to sample the regional cuisines of the cities that we are visiting."

If you go:

Guangzhou: 8 pm, June 2. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu (Road), Ersha Island, Yuexiu district. 400-108-8808.

Zhongshan: 8 pm, June 3. Cultural and Art Center, 73 Xingzhong Lu (Avenue), East district. 0760-8822-3666.

Foshan: 7:30 pm, June 4. Qionghua Grand Theater, 22 Zumiao Lu (Road), Chancheng district. 0757-8224-7300.

Shanghai: 7:30 pm, June 6. Grand Theater, 300 Renmin Lu (Avenue). 400-106-8686.

Beijing: 7:30 pm, June 7. National Center for Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Jie (Avenue), Xicheng district. 010-6655-0000.

Tianjin: 7:30 pm, June 8. Grand Theater, 24 Youyi Lu (Road), Hexi district. 022-8388-2000.